The Pyramid (Luke 15:3-7)

Medical residency programs are a grueling but necessary part of the training for a physician. Most programs will accept a set number of residents for each training year. For example, a general surgery program is usually 5 years long, following graduation from medical school. Five residents are accepted in the first year and in most programs, five residents are expected to graduate. Sometimes a resident may need to transfer to another program or elect to drop out. In these instances, a program may accept a transfer or application from another program to fill the spot.

One particularly brutal variant of medical residencies was the pyramid program. In a pyramid program, five residents may start but only one or two will finish. With each successive year, at least one resident is asked to leave. Thankfully, these types of programs no longer exist. But for those residents who participated in such programs, an ugly, hypercompetitive attitude and bad behavior often resulted. It was difficult enough to be a resident in training but superimpose the fear of failure and imminent dismissal, and an already brutal experience was now made worse. There was never any assurance that your position was secure. One day, you were in the country’s most prestigious surgery residency program and the next day, you may be gone. No assurance. No security.

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety- nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
Luke 15:4 (ESV)

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, our salvation is eternally secure. Nothing will be able to separate from the love of God! We have complete assurance and security that He will never forsake us. Jesus Christ keeps those who are His own. He is the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep. We are His sheep, His children.

There is no pyramid of salvation with Jesus Christ. Accept His gift and work to establish God’s Kingdom on this earth. Share the Good News of Jesus Christ by your speech and actions. We live to glorify God not to compete with those around us.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.